A new opportunity
by Kai Jac
Summary: My take of what happened after the events of the season 3 finale of Castle. R:T, enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

**A NEW OPPORTUNITY**

**BY: KAI JAC**

_**Disclaimer:**__ I do not own anything._

_**Author's Note:**__ Much has been written about the last episode of Season 3 of Castle. Occurs right at the end of the episode "Knockout." Enjoy it!_

-I love you, Kate...

Two hearts united by a few words. These words she had waited so long to hear from his mouth.

It is true that many people who know them well, have suggested that Castle's feelings were more than friendship. She deeply inside her knew it for a long time, her intuition rarely failed her, and once again she was right.

The darkness wanted to fall on her, and realizing that her conscience would not hold much longer, she let a tear fall down her cheek. Then came oblivion.

_**In the hospital**_

The sound of quick steps and the hospital lights bothered her, her head ached, she tried to open her eyes and say something, but it seemed that her body refused to obey.

- We must rush to the surgery room number 3! – She heard a voice that was very familiar. "_Josh_", she thought, she tried again to talk but her lips did not move, her throat burned and was unable to make a sound.

Again the darkness overcame her, and all coherent thought disappeared.

-The doctor said that the surgery was a success, you've heard the doctor, Mr. Beckett, go home to rest and I'll stay with her tonight.- she heard his voice, and made her feel peace and quiet.

-Richard, call me Jim, I'm going to stay with her, you would better go home to take a shower and change your clothes, and you've got blood on them.

-I've already called my mother and asked her to bring me clothes; it won't take long for her to arrive. Jim, go to rest. I promise that if there is anything new, you'll be the first to know.

-Take good care of her, please.

She heard footsteps and a door that opens and closes. Within seconds, she felt like a hand grabbing hers.

-Kate, what I said before when you were shot, I meant it, don't leave me, please, if I lose you now I do not know how I will live without you.

When she heard a sob, her heart felt like breaking into a thousand pieces, she wanted to raise an arm and hug him, so comfort him, but her muscles would not work, no matter how hard she tried, her body refused to obey. With an effort that seemed superhuman to her, tried squeezing the hand of her favorite writer, though it was very weak, she wanted to show the writer that she was there, that everything was fine.

He should not be aware of her efforts, because he leaned toward her, and all the tears that he had repressed, began to fall down his cheeks. His sobs were heartbroken and desperate, and she wanted to do something to ease his suffering, but was too weak to do so.

- Kate, I know that lately I have not been good to you, you told me that we were over, but I cannot accept it.- she listened as he spoke almost begging .- I know we've been through a lot together, too much things had happened to us, both happy and sad.

She wanted to hug him and comfort him, as he had done so many times with her, but could not, she felt helpless and useless. She wanted to say that when she told him it was over she hadn't meant it, she was just hurt because he had told her the truth, had taught her the reality that she didn't want to face for fear to be vulnerable to it. She wanted to say how much she appreciated that he was there at her side. That she preferred his company a thousand times more before anyone else.

-I don't know what I will do without you, you're the reason I wake up every day, and you are my sunshine, my all.

These words came to the depths of her heart; she knew that Castle had strong feelings for her, although she pushed him out when he was too close to her for her liking. In some ways it was a relief that he knew her so well, because she knew he sensed as she was emotionally when she was having a bad or a good day. Even Josh, her boyfriend, didn't know her so well. "_So why do I keep dating him?_" she thought.

-Look at me now, here I am declaring yourself my love, knowing that you can't hear me. I am a coward, Kate. I dare not tell this to the face, because I know you will take your gun and shoot me between the eyes the moment I tell you.

She wanted to say that he wasn't that she was the coward for not wanting to face the reality, that her fear of real commitment kept her from having a relationship with him. She just didn't want that the same thing would happen to him, like to other people who she loved. She didn't want him to leave her life forever, as had happened with her mother.

-If Josh makes you happy, I'm happy. I find it hard to see you with another man that isn't me. But because I love you, I'll let you go; I'll set aside not to impede your happiness and your future with him. I hope you are happy, Josh is a good man.

With these words he began to mourn and not tried to hide his tears. She felt how his tears moistened her face, and once again tried to raise her hand to comfort him. No way. However, a tear fell from her right eye. If only he could see the tear...

When passed what seemed like ages, she finally opened her eyes. She had a huge headache, but she felt with a little more force and be able to move a bit.

When she lifted her head slightly, saw a completely disheveled head resting on the edge of her bed. _"I'm going to try my luck and try to talk_." She opened her mouth but her throat felt dry and couldn't say a single word. "_Maybe I can move my hand ..._."

Painstakingly raised her hand and touched the tousled head. He moved it slightly as if trying to take off her hand and whispered:

-Five more minutes ... today I don't have to go to work...

Smiling to herself, returned to stroke him. This time he moved and opened his eyes. Realizing where he was he straightened quickly and stared at her.

- KATE! You're awake! - Said almost crying with a big smile on his face. - take it easy, don't worry, you've been unconscious for two days. - added when he saw her efforts on trying to incorporate.

When she saw the face of the person who had been with her, came a smile, her knight in shining armor wasn't Josh, he was Richard Castle. She wanted to talk, tell him how much he was wrong, how much she wanted to be with him, and stop deceiving herself and himself.

When the nurses came to treat her, she promised herself that she would recover as quickly as possible, to embrace and love him, as Richard Castle deserved.

_**A/N 2:**__ What do you think? It is planned as a one shot, do you want it to continue? Thank you everybody for reading._


	2. Chapter 2

**A NEW OPORTUNITY**

**BY: KAI JAC**

_**Disclaimer: **__As much as I want, unfortunately, I don't own Castle or any____of its characters or plots._

_**Author's note**__:__ First of all, thank you everybody for your support of this fic, I really appreciate it. I hope you enjoy this chapter._

**Chapter 2**

As the weeks went by and Kate was slowly regaining her strength, Josh visits were spaced, and Castle's visits were increasing.

In the nurses break room, it was rumored that the famous writer and the surgeon, had a heated argument shortly after the detective awoke from the coma.

One of the nurses said that that Katherine Beckett was very fortunate to have two men that loved her so much like that, she wished she had the same fate.

Another nurse, said she would soon have to decide who she was choosing. It was unfair that she had them both on edge not knowing what decision she would take.

One of the new nurses saw his opportunity to speak, and said that soon they would know who they would, because the doctor who was attending the detective said,s he would be discharged soon, under the condition that during the time she was in rehabilitation, she had to live with someone else.

With a glance at the clock in the room, the head nurse sighed and sent them all back to work.

_In Kate's room_

Unaware that they were the talk of the hospital's, the writer and the detective, were drinking coffee talking about everything and nothing.

-I can't believe that Esposito and Lanie got caught in the bathroom.

-Imagine the face of them when I go into the men's room and were caught making out. If I was someone else I don't know what would have happened ... but now I have a good material to blackmail them .- the writer said laughing.

That was too much for Kate, who started laughing hard.

For a few days something was kicking her brains constantly. A vague recollection of the burial of Captain Montgomery was trying to break into her mind but something blocked it. A psychiatrist who had come to visit her, said it was normal not to remember everything about the incident. The mind tends to block the painful memories, and being shot was very painful.

Yet there was something that eluded her, something that was not bad, something that had given her light before she lost consciousness, but her brain refused to remember.

Yet every time she asked Castle on the subject, he changed the subject quickly.

The thing that wasn't clear was the reason Josh had stopped to visit her frequently. Before he was going back and forth every day. The advantage was she was hospitalized in the same hospital where he worked. But now, she hasn't seen him for days, had not even called to say he was busy and could not visit.

What was clear was that Castle had something to do with it.

-Castle. I'm going to ask you something, and you'll answer the truth, no excuses .- she put much emphasis on the last word to make clear that this time there was no fight.

- Tell me Kate .- he said lowering his head and admitted defeat.

-First, help me to raise a little the head of the bed so I can better see your face, and I'll know if you lie.

While he did what she had asked, she looked at the writer's hands as they moved. He looked at his face and almost made her laugh the face of serious concentration he had.

-Castle, you know that some of the nurses in this hospital are very talkative. I know I speak for us, and I mean Josh, you and me. Yesterday afternoon while they changed the bandages on my bound, a hint of the rumor that is spreading on the hospital escaped from the nurse, this rumor is that you and Josh had discussed and I have a suspicion that this is the reason that Josh isn't visiting me or calling me more often. Can you tell what the hell you told him? – she asked almost shouting.

Seeing his head down she knew it was all the writer fault .

- Well? - She asked raising an eyebrow.

-Kate, promise you will not shoot me if I answer you.

- I can't promise that. Anyway, here I haven't my gun, so for the moment I won't shot you. So answer me right now!

-Well ... I ... hum.. sort of told him the truth ...

-And what is that truth, Castle?

- I don't know how to tell you, Kate. - "_Act like a grown man, Richard!You're not a teenager declaring your undying love to your first love! _".

Seeing that he hesitated, she preferred to wait in silence until he found the words.

-Well, I don't know if you remember, but when you were shot, I told you something ... something very important.

-I don't remember it clearly. I know you tried to make me stay conscious at all costs as you clutched my wound ...

-Don't try to force your memories back, Kate. -He interrupted her by placing a finger on her lips .- I know that if I tell you now, I won't have the courage to tell you anymore.

Taking the chair, he moved it a little closer to the bed where she was lying.

-Josh came asking me for explanations of what I was doing coming every day to the hospital making you company, knowing that he is your boyfriend and I had no opportunity to be more with you.-He paused to swallow hard before continuing .- I told him he was wrong. That above all you are my friend, my companion, who would not leave you for a minute until you full recover.

After saying this, the writer stopped and said no more.

- I don't think it is the only reason, Castle, you said something that make him stop visiting me.-She insisted when she saw that he would not say more.

-Actually I said something else, but I don't know if you are prepared to listen. Especially after you told me that ours was over .- _"It's now or never, Richard, you have nothing to lose."_ - But the truth is I can't bear to see him with you. I love you, Kate, not as a friend or a partner, but as something else.

These words made her open her eyes and felt the tears were struggling to fall from her eyes. She had waited so long to hear them. But now…

-That's what I said. Josh, told me I could keep dreaming, you were his and had nothing to do. I have to admit that there I lost my cool and shouted at him saying you were only with him to not feel alone, and you knew that your relationship would not get very far. The next thing he did was hit me a punch in the eye, and left without saying anything.

Two antagonistic feelings were formed within her as she listened to his words, on one hand joy and on the other anger.

-A few days later he came by while you were sleeping, and told me that while I was here in the room, he would not appear. So I guess you have seen only the days that I couldn't by force be with you.

-Castle, I want you to leave this room right now! You're not who to decide if my boyfriend is good enough for me or not! I am no damsel in distress waiting for her knight in shining armor come to rescue mounted on a white horse! So go now!

-Kate, as you wish, if you need anything, you know how to reach me. Don't forget, I love you.

With this, he left the room closing the door behind him. When she stopped hearing her footsteps, she began to cry.


End file.
